Rockland is making much-needed repairs to its breakwater lighthouse

Rockland is getting ready to complete much-needed repairs on the lighthouse that has stood for more than a century at the end of the mile-long breakwater that protects the city’s harbor.

It’s an urgent task, because the lighthouse was heavily damaged by the storms that rocked Maine’s coast earlier this year, and it will be vulnerable again this winter.

Several other famous Maine lighthouses were also damaged in those storms, including nearby ones in the midcoast such as the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in Bristol and the Marshall Point Lighthouse in Port Clyde, with damages totaling in the millions.

But while government officials and private organizations have worked hard to fix the damage to roads, fishing piers and other heavily used infrastructure as soon as they could, it has been a slower process for some of the groups that oversee Maine’s iconic lighthouses to navigate the funding, permitting and logistics of repairs. It’s a unique challenge, given the need to steel them against worsening storms while also preserving their traditional character.

The Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, which is owned by the city, has fallen into disrepair since the nonprofit group that previously maintained it, the Friends of the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, dissolved during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the city’s harbormaster, Molly Eddy.

Now, after last winter’s storms, the lighthouse needs siding repaired on the seaward side, Eddy said. Unrelated to storm damage, it also needs its slate roof replaced. The nails used for the roof were made of steel, so they’ve rusted over time and must be replaced with copper nails.

“It’s not anyone’s fault that it’s fallen into disrepair,” Eddy said. “It’s just a red-tape nightmare, and it’s a mile out to sea. Just that alone is an impediment.”

The lighthouse has been closed to visitors for about a year, Eddy said. While people can still walk along the breakwater and get up close to it, they can’t go inside. If the repairs are completed this fall, then Eddy and City Manager Tom Luttrell would like to see it reopen by spring.

Staging for replacing the roof could happen this week, Eddy said. But different agencies oversee different aspects of the light, including the city, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers. And before the city can begin repairs, it must wait for the Maine Historic Preservation Commission to approve them, according to Eddy.

Work could begin on the siding this fall, too, if everything goes smoothly, Eddy added. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is likely to provide about $60,000 to help with storm-related repairs to the siding and a portion of the roof. Overall, the costs for the siding could reach $20,000 to $30,000, Eddy said, and repairing the roof could cost $300,000.

The city will be paying for the roof, Luttrell said, though it’s waiting on congressional funding that could help cover other repairs.

“I know the contractor that got the bid, he’s ready to go,” Luttrell said.

Coastal Copper & Slate will be the contractor handling the roof repairs.

Private donations have also raised more than $5,000, according to Eddy. A sign on the side of the lighthouse directs people to a page where they can donate to the account for lighthouse management.

The city is also looking for a historical preservation engineer to identify what other repairs the lighthouse needs, and it’s considering reinstating a municipal lighthouse committee to oversee the asset.

And there is the looming problem of increasingly frequent and dangerous winter storms. Eddy said repairs on the breakwater light must walk a fine line between offering protection from future damage and honoring its historic character.

Some of those changes could include removing old lead paint with lasers and replacing the siding with oil-dipped cedar, putting insulation under the siding that would allow intruding water to escape, and potentially even raising the lighthouse a few feet, Eddy said.

“In some ways, going back to the original materials used makes the most sense. There’s old things that worked really well because they worked with nature instead of just against it,” Eddy said, referencing how saltwater helps preserve old wooden boats. “We’re trying to take the best of the old and bring in the best of the new.”

Eddy added that while the lighthouse is under construction, the public should obey signs and maintain a safe distance from the construction site.

Jules Walkup is a Report for America corps member. Additional support for this reporting is provided by BDN readers.

Jules Walkup reports on the midcoast and is a Report for America corps member. They graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism and moved to Maine from Tampa, Florida in July 2023. More by Jules Walkup